An independent guide to occupational therapy
How occupational therapy helps with everyday tasks
From opening a jar to climbing the stairs: plain guides to what occupational therapists look at, how daily living is assessed, and how hands-on and movement therapies fit alongside. Every page cites its sources.
Start hereIllustration
- Grip and twist
- Hand movement
- A written plan
Understand the field
Start with what the profession is, how it compares and how to choose well.
Panel 01Illustration
- Shelf and reach height
- Jar and lid grip
- Lifting and pouring
- What occupational therapy isWhat occupational therapists do, who they help and how daily living is assessed.Open
- Occupational vs physical therapyWhere the two professions overlap, where they differ and how they work together.Open
- Choosing a therapistHow to check credentials, what a first visit covers and what to ask. No firms named.Open
- Hands-on therapies comparedA neutral look at manual and movement therapies seen alongside rehabilitation.Open
Hands, wrists and arms
Small movements carry most of daily life. See how they are assessed and rebuilt.
Panel 02Illustration
- Finger movement (range of motion)
- Palm and grip strength
- Thumb pinch
Home and daily routines
The place where most of the tasks happen: rooms, equipment and routines.
Panel 03Illustration
- Handrail
- Lighting
- Step edges and footing
Recovery and growth
How therapists work with stroke, memory and children's development.
Panel 04Illustration
- Shoulder and arm movement
- Reach, grasp and release
- Seated balance and posture
Before any first visit
A short list of things people often find useful to have ready. Tick them off for yourself; nothing is saved or sent. The guide on choosing a therapist explains what to ask.
All guides
Understand the field
- What Is Occupational Therapy and Who Does It Help?What occupational therapists do, who they help and how daily living is assessed.
- Occupational Therapy vs Physical Therapy: Overlap and DifferencesWhere the two professions overlap, where they differ and how they work together.
- Choosing an Occupational Therapist and What to AskHow to check credentials, what a first visit covers and what to ask. No firms named.
- Hands-On and Movement Therapies Compared: Evidence and SafetyA neutral look at manual and movement therapies seen alongside rehabilitation.
Hands, body and energy
- Hand, Wrist and Upper-Limb Rehabilitation: What Hand Therapy InvolvesHand therapy, splints, grip and pinch, and getting back to everyday tasks.
- Workstation Ergonomics: Setting Up a Desk to Fit the PersonDesk, chair, screen and break habits, and how a workstation is assessed.
- Falls and Home Safety: Why People Fall and What HelpsBalance, strength, medicines and footwear: the person side of preventing falls.
- Energy Conservation and Fatigue: Pacing a Limited SupplyPacing, planning and simplifying tasks when energy runs short.
Home, recovery and growth
- Adapting the Home and Daily Routines, Including Assistive DevicesRoom-by-room changes, routines and assistive devices, and how they are chosen.
- Stroke Rehabilitation Basics: Who Helps, What Happens and WhenWhat stroke rehabilitation involves and where occupational therapy fits.
- Cognitive and Memory Strategies for Everyday LifeEveryday strategies for memory and thinking, and when to seek advice.
- Pediatric Development Basics: Everyday Skills in Growing ChildrenHow children's everyday skills develop and what a pediatric therapist looks at.
- Caregivers and Everyday Support: Helping Without Burning OutHelping safely, sharing the load and looking after the carer too.